Dawn was elected member of parliament for Brent South in May 2005, becoming the first elected African-Caribbean woman to become a government minister. She has served as MP for Brent Central since May 2015. Dawn started her career as a computer programmer and systems analyst. Her decision to enter politics arose from a deep-rooted commitment to address inequality. She continues to commit her time in parliament representing groups and people in society that are often underrepresented. In 2017, for example, Dawn became the first MP to sign a question in the House of Commons using British sign language, highlighting the need to give sign language full legal status. Dawn is also a passionate campaigner for young people, previously acting as minister for young citizens and youth engagement under Gordon Brown. She is currently serving as shadow minister for women and equalities.